Electrical jumper and method of making same

ABSTRACT

In making an electrical jumper a round wire has an intermediate portion flattened by applying a rolling pressure leaving the ends of the wire in original round condition for use as terminals. Such intermediate portion is sandwiched between two sheets of insulating material which are then laminated to cover only such flattened intermediate portion. A plurality of such wires may be so sandwiched between sheets of insulating material with the planes of such flattened portions being coplanar. In the flattening operation the cross-sectional area of the flattened portion is preferably made less than the cross-sectional area of either end of the wire for enhanced flexibility.

United States Patent [72] inventor James F. Shiells, Jr.

La Canada, Calif.

[21 Appl. No. 512,965

(22] Filed Dec. 10, 1965 [45] Patented Aug. 24, 1971 [73] Assignee Digital Sensors, inc.

I54] ELECTRICAL JUMPER AND METHOD 0 MAKING SAME 1 Clalm, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] [1.5. CI 339/19, 339/17 R [51] Int. Cl H0lr 31/08 [50] Field ofSearch 339/19, 17, 22; 174/1 17.1, 1 17.1 1; 338/212, 254, 255, 314; 29/625, 630; 72/199 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,258,750 10/1941 Eichwald 339/275 B X 2,558,008 6/1951 Smith 339/18CX 2,596,528 5/1952 Carlson 339/223 2,745,931 5/1956 l-leibel 338/254 X 2,910,766 11/1959 Pritikin '7 2 9/625 2,994,058 7/ l 961 Dahlgren 339/100 3,221,286 11/1965 Fedde 339/17 F 2,351,632 6/1944 OBrien 339/22 X 3,196,657 7/1965 Fromson 72/199 FOREIGN PATENTS 198,739 6/1923 Great Britain 174/1 17.6

1,175,923 11/1958 France 174/1 17.6

Primary ExaminerErnest R. Purser Assistant Examiner-Rohert A. Hafcr Attorney-Lyon & Lyon ABSTRACT: in making an electrical jumper a round wire has an intermediate portion flattened by applying a rolling pressure leaving the ends of the wire in original round condition for use as terminals. Such intermediate portion is sandwiched between two sheets of insulating material which are then laminated to cover only such flattened intermediate portion. A plurality of such wires may be so sandwiched between sheets of insulating material with the planes of such flattened portions being coplanar. 1n the flattening operation the crosssectional area of the flattened portion is preferably made less than the cross-sectional area of either end of the wire for enhanced flexibility.

ELECTRICAL JUMPER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME The present invention relates to connectors for use in electrical circuits, commonly referred to as electrical jumpers and also to the method of making the same.

It is oftentimes desirable to interconnect printed electrical circuit boards. In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, this is accomplished by a plurality of insulated wires each having its original round ends but with a flattened intermediate connecting portion that interconnects such round ends. Such intermediate flat portion is produced by rolling or otherwise applying pressure to such intermediate portion to deform and flatten the same. Preferably this flattening is accomplished by placing the intermediate portion of the wire between rollers so that during such flattening, the crosssectional area is reduced with the overall length being increased. The individual wires thus flattened are sandwiched between two sheets of plastic in a laminated construction with the round wire ends exposed on either side for soldering into printed circuit boards or other electronic components.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a jumper and a method for making the same.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a jumper which is economical and simple to manufacture, the same being particularly adaptable to production by machines.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a jumper of this character which has round ends interconnected by an intermediate flat flexible portion.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a method of this character for producing a jumper having desired flexibility and yet with a large enough diameter round end for soldering satisfactorily and conveniently. v

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a multiconductor jumper embodying features of the present invention, the same being illustrated with approximately three times enlargement and with a portion of the same broken away to more clearly show the flattened intermediate portion of some of the conductors.

FIG. 2 is a section taken generally as indicated by the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates steps in the process of making the individual conductors ultimately assembled in the assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken respectively on the lines 44 and 5-5 in FIG. 2, the insulation in FIG. 4 being removed for clarity.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a typical jumper assembly includes nine individual and identical electrical conductors -18, each formed from standard round copper wire, the same, however, being formed in accordance with important features of the present invention with a corresponding intermediate flat portion 10A-18A. The flat portion of each wire is coplanar and is sandwiched between sheets and 21 of insulating plastic material. Such plastic material may be either of the thermoplastic or thermosetting kind and is suitably processed to encase the flattened portions, with, in some cases, the plastic material being bonded to the plastic sheets in a laminated construction, and in each case with the plastic sheets 20 and 21 maintaining the individual conductors in spaced relation insulated one from the other.

Various means may be used to produce the flattened intermediate portions. FOr example, the same may be flattened in a press so that the cross-sectional area of the copper is uniform throughout both the round and flattened sections. In

commercial production the flat portion may haye about onehalf the cross-sectional area of the round portion with such flattening and reduction in cross section being accomplished by applying a rolling pressure to the original round wire as indicated in FIG. 3 such that there is an elongation as well as a flattening. By thus reducing the cross section, maximum flexibility of the jumper is obtained with a large enough diameter round part for soldering satisfactorily and conveniently.

Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a typical originally round wire 5 has applied thereto a rolling pressure by a pressure roller 6 which is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 7 from its position shown in the upper portion of FIG. 3 to its position in the lower portion of FIG. 3 to produce the intermediate flattened portion 5A, such intermediate flattened portion 5A having a cross-sectional area somewhat smaller than the original cross section of the wire 5 so that as a result of this rolling operation, there is an elongation and this is also indicated in FIG. 3 in that the ends 5B and SC in the final configuration are spaced a greater distance apart.

It will be understood that it is within the purview of the invention to have the ends and the intermediate portion of either the same or different cross-sectional area but preferably, as illustrated in connection with FIG. 3, the crosssectional area of the intermediate portion is less than the cross-sectional area of the original wire, i.e., the cross-sectional area of the unaltered ends.

It will be observed in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the insulation material extends far enough up the flattened wire section to prevent the relatively stiff round wire portion from sharply bending the flattened section at the edge of the insulation.

The round portion of the wire is intended to be inserted in slightly oversized holes in a printed circuit board, and the flat portion of the wire, because of its geometry, is incapable of being inserted in the circuit board hole.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

lclaim 1. A flexible jumper for making electrical connections between circuit elements of, for example, a printed circuit board, said jumper having spaced ends with an integral flat portion of substantially different cross section interconnecting and spacing said ends, and insulating material covering only said flat portion, said spaced ends being terminals and extending outwardly from said insulating material, said flat portion being sufficiently prolonged and of such thinness in said flat portion to provide flexibility between said spaced ends, said flat portion having a cross-sectional area substantially less than the cross-sectional area of one of said ends, said one end being of substantially round solid wire. 

1. A flexible jumper for making electrical connections between circuit elements of, for example, a printed circuit board, said jumper having sPaced ends with an integral flat portion of substantially different cross section interconnecting and spacing said ends, and insulating material covering only said flat portion, said spaced ends being terminals and extending outwardly from said insulating material, said flat portion being sufficiently prolonged and of such thinness in said flat portion to provide flexibility between said spaced ends, said flat portion having a cross-sectional area substantially less than the cross-sectional area of one of said ends, said one end being of substantially round solid wire. 